April 27, 2009

APRIL 27, 2009
School is moving the time faster—we are down to a few weeks and all sorts of activities during those weeks. One of my junior girls asked me today if there is a university close to where I live…and I told her about Lamar University—and told her to get on the internet, find it and come live with me! Of course that won’t happen, but I do love these kids so much. I am definitely going to miss all the people I’ve met here.

We had a really good experience Sunday. Wilma, Kristen and I went to Masada and the Dead Sea. Masada is about 1 hour and 15 minutes from Jerusalem …& it is so very interesting. I didn’t really know much about it beyond the story of the siege by the Romans in 73 AD. You ride a cable car up the mountain—then the place is really huge. We actually only went to a little over half of it—we went to the Northern Palace that Herod built. Rooms with columns, little circular indentions for water, long divided places that were used for storage rooms. The stone rooms and the artifacts were just amazing to me. I enjoy all that historical information and those sights so much, so I bought a book with pictures. We could see the places where the Romans had their camps all around the base of the mountain. It is very high—tour buses looked like matchbox cars from the viewpoint.
The Dead Sea Resort is about a 15- minute drive from Masada…so we spent the afternoon there. Kristen had never been there, so she went in. We met some friends of Wilma’s who live about 20 minutes away, and she spent some time with them. We had a covered area, so I enjoyed the cool breeze and a good book. It was really so pleasant. Kristen is a really good photographer—so she was so happy to see the sea and the Jordanian and Judean mountains. That sea is a deep, deep turquoise—and the tan mountains beside the sea are just so beautiful. The sea does change colors at different places—sometimes an emerald green and sometimes a beautiful bluish color. It is completely fascinating.

Today Wilma and I went in to the city because she had a dentist appointment. We met Erin and Christy for dinner at a really great Thai restaurant. The food was super good…then we did a little shopping, came home and I’m getting ready for tomorrow’s classes.

We are planning a bridal shower-party for my roommate Mary on Friday night. Her wedding is planned for July 17. She has requested each of us share our best recipes—so those of you who have my email, please send me your favorite recipe. Erin is going to make a book for her. We are going to have pizza, Greek salad and cheese cake—and watch a movie!

We are also planning a trip to Haifa this week-end…hope to leave here on Sat. after school and take Christine/Yousef Dakwar and Jack/Linda Park to dinner Sat. evening…then on Sunday, we’re going to Mount Carmel and enjoy the day…then we hope to stay for church Sunday night and drive home afterwards—we’ll be late getting back in to Jerusalem…and have school the next day. But we’ll enjoy the time with all of them in Haifa.

Please continue to pray for us—my sister is continuing to do well. Thank you for your prayers and emails and comments. Please pray for me, my girls and Jerusalem School.
Love
Beth